Soulmates
by KathyBoPeep
Summary: Someone on Tumblr dared me to write the saddest fic that I could without any major character death, so I did. Then others begged me for some resolution, so I caved and did it. What if you knew the exact date and time that you would meet your soulmate? The last of my story arcs in Jane and Maura's Infinite Playlist, made separate per request. :)
1. Mumford and Sons - I Will Wait

**Someone on Tumblr dared me to write the saddest fic that I could without any major character death. So, I wrote this. There is a death, but it's just a side character that doesn't really matter. So, sorry if you cry. There's a petition on Tumblr for me to write a sequel ahahaha. Thanks folks :D**

2010:

"Hey, how long you got?"

Jane pulled the sleeves of her suit jacket and checked the watch on her wrist. She'd tried to avoid it as much as she could- why get so nervous about something that was going to happen anyways. She glanced at Barry Frost, who had asked her the question, and smiled like a proud sibling. The dark-skinned man had traded his shirt and khakis in for a suit and tie. He looked so dapper, like a debonair next to Jane, who looked like...Jane.

"Still got a like two years man, I've got some time to fuck shit up still" Jane whispered lovingly, fixing the tie on her partner. She brushed away dust that didn't exist off the dark fabric of his shoulder. Barry Frost, Jane's partner and best friend, was going to meet his soulmate today. He'd been waiting for this moment since he'd gotten his watch at age 13- the youngest age available. Then there were people like Jane who didn't bother with one until she'd graduated high school. If she wanted to fall in love with someone, she'd do it after high school.

"Man, I don't know Jane- I still think that I'm not ready. I mean, what if I change my mind or something, and completely ruin this plan? I still have 20 minutes, and we've been standing here in the park so long, that most people probably think we're on the date. I don't know Jane, I- I'm just so nervous." Frost stammered, gripping the roses in fist so hard that the plastic around it started to crinkle. Jane just laughed and grabbed his shaking hands. She rubbed her thumb affectionately across his knuckles, feeling his muscles relax after a bit.

"You're gonna be fine dude. She's gonna love you, okay? Who couldn't, you're a great guy!" Jane started to tear up a bit, it was emotional when you're best friend was about to meet their mate. Deep down, Jane was kind of envious, she wanted to meet her soulmate now- not a year later, but she'd never admit that out loud. Besides, if she met him, who could guarantee that she would even love him? How could- nevermind. Today was all about Frost and his happiness.

Jane sniffled a bit, willing the tears in her eyes not to spill, if anyone knew that she got this emotional over romance she'd never hear the end of it.

"I'm gonna go okay? Call me if anything doesn't happen, I'll be sitting at home with a beer and Jo." the brunette hugged her best friend once more and smiled even brighter when his watch chirped, signalling that he had five more minutes.

He just nodded, not trusting his voice to properly convey anything right now. He turned around and exhaled all of the jumbled thoughts and emotions. He sat on a bench and watched Jane jog back down the path towards her apartment. To distract himself, he wondered how she'd be acting when her watch went off. A warm hand touched his shoulder and he jerked his head up and stared. She had a nervous smile and big brown doe eyes, with a stellar pearly smile.

"Ha, I know this is awkward but, I'm here..and I think that I'm underdressed." The woman said staring at her jeans and polo. "But, I just got off work at Boston Joe's and I thought I wouldn't make it! I assume you're here because…" the woman trailed off and sat down next to Barry and clasped her hands nervously. He saw the slim watch on her wrist and laughed, they'd even picked the same color.

"I'm Detective Barry Frost, and I think that we're soulmates…?"

"Netta, Netta Wilson. Hi Barry, wanna go get some coffee" She asked giggling like a small child. She thought that knowing that you were going to meet your soulmate would dull this feeling- the butterflies that everyone talked about. But, they were there, and boy they felt great.

"Sure, we can go to Starbucks though, I won't tell your boss"

"Okay"

* * *

**1990**

"Hey, Maura- what time is it?" Maura glanced at the silver band on her wrist. She couldn't help but grimace at the large "20 years. five months, three days, and 40 minutes" that stared back at her. It was sad really, every other girl in her high school had their numbers always on display. Most of them sported numbers that indicated that they would be well on their way to meeting their domestic partner before the turn of the century. But poor Maura-the-Bora, was going to be single woman until she was nearly 40.

"Half past four" Maura gave Susie, her lab partner and best friend, a clear and concise answer. The dark-haired woman grimaced when she realized what she'd done, Maura hated to be reminded that she was going to wait so long to meet her soulmate. Susie's watch, which she only put on at home, told her that she still had a few years to wait, which was great- she still needed to make it into college.

"Sorry Maura, I didn't mean-" Susie started.

"No- I'm being immature. I should know better than to antagonize about an outcome that I cannot change. I should focus on my studies anyways. they're more important than finding love.

Susie just frowned, she hated it when Maura talked like that. Maura was wonderful person, and no one but her seemed to care. Her parents were too busy gallivanting across Europe to realize that their daughter, needed them here. Maura Isles just didn't realize just how wonderful of a human she was.

"Hey, wanna go to the cinema tonight? Edward Scissorhands is playing, and we all know how much you love Winona Ryder." Susie teased Maura, remembering how hard her best friend had swooned over the girl in Heathers their sophomore year. Now Maura, being a senior, had been able to register for her fan club. It was adorable watching her get excited over having a member ID in the double digits.

"I don't know Susie, this science lab is due this week and I'd rather not do horribly." Maura bristled. She could tell that her friend was just being nice and trying to get out of her house.

"Whatever Captain Maura, you've never gotten below a 100%, I'm sure you'll do fine." Susie jumped down from the desk she was sitting on and started to gather her things. Besides, you just spent an entire study hall talking. Not getting Senioritis are we?" Susie lightly punched Maura's sweater-covered arm.

"I hardly think that applies. Besides, it's not even a medically recognized d-"

"Whatever Maura, it's okay" The bell rang before either one of the girls could finish their conversation. Susie scooted out of the door, blending into the crowd. Maura just sauntered out of the door towards her locker. She put her school things away and took out her keys and purse. The sun glared down on the sullen girl, making her shadow taunt her from the sidewalk. She got into her car and just sat there for a moment, willing herself to not dwell on the fact she had to wait one-fifth of a century to find a single person on this planet to love her. Could she even wait that long? With a heavy heart and mind, Maura started her car and drove home.

When she got home, she set her purse and keys on the wooden pegs next to the door. Avoiding as much contact as she could, she tiptoed up the stairs hoping that neither the housekeeper or the gardener could hear her. Her door swung open and Maura flopped onto her bed. She took off her watch and sighed in relief when the numbers faded from the screen. The blonde rolled over and stared at her ceiling, playing the game she played every day when she got home from school.

_I wonder if she'll have curly hair_

_I wonder if she likes puppies_

_Maybe she'll even like cuddling. _

_So long as she likes me I suppose I can't be very disappointed._

Maura burst into tears, like she did every day. _I just don't want to be disappointed. _

* * *

**2012**

Jane could feel herself waking up and groaned, she felt like shit. It was to be expected actually, she had drank an entire bottle of Jager last night- if she remembered correctly. Her first thought was to call Frost and ask how she's gotten home, but then she realized** why** she gotten so trashed last night:

It was Frost's wedding night.

Jane smiled tightly as she rolled over to smother her hungover face into the pillow. Jane cried so many times last night that she felt like she'd been hit by a bus today. She surely looked like it too. Cavanaugh, after seeing how well they'd cleared out the bar, had given all of the Rizzoli's the day off to recuperate.

Jo jumped on the bed and snuggled her little puppy butt right into Jane's sternum. The laid like that for another hour, until the pup started to whimper and do her potty dance.

"Okay JoJoBean, I gotcha. Just a minute." Jane muttered and rolled out of bed, hissing at the cold air around her. She quickly threw on a hoodie and a pair of running shorts. She slipped her feet into her sandals and twisted her hair into a bun with one hand- a skill that she'd perfected since the age of 12.

She grabbed Jo's leash and clipped it to her collar. She cursed and went back into her bedroom for her phone and wallet. She might as well stop and get some coffee on their walk, so she could at least say that she ventured outside today. Finally, she opened the door and locked it behind her. Jo sprinted her furry white self down the stairs and out the door, nearly tripping Jane by wrapping the leash around the tall brunette.

The sun was bright, too bright for hungover Jane Rizzoli. She held up a hand to shield the offending light and walked slowly to Jo's tree that she loved so much. While the little dog did her business, Jane thought about the wedding the night before. It had really given her a ray of hope for her romantic life. It was really hard to date someone knowing that they obviously weren't going to last. Frost and Netta had truly been made for each other, in Jane's opinions, and it was nice to see her partner so happy! Ever since she'd left him on the bench a two years ago, he'd been walking on sunshine.

It was refreshing for Jane to see a love like that after her parent's had split. It was difficult to think that if only they'd had their watches, they wouldn't have had to marry and find out that they just didn't work. They could still get them now, but it was very probable that their soulmates had passed them while they'd been married. There was nothing worse than seeing someone's watch read 00:00 for more than a second. It meant that their time for true love had passed, and they would either have to search the globe for love, or just admit that they would never meet their soulmate. Jane cursed the watches existence for ruining people's lives like that, but she was also grateful for the heads up- it had saved her from many an unwanted suitor.

_You still need to find your damn watch, Jane. It's been exactly two years, and when you checked it last month, you only had 32 days left. How exciting. _

Jane was apprehensive about the whole thing, honestly. So, she just lived her life as best as she could in hopes that she would be in the right place at the right time? It was just so...specific that Jane doubted it would even work. _Besides, you'll probably get some stupid jock who only likes sports illustrated and women's volleyball. Well, at least you'd have that in common. Serves you right for being the damn closet so long you pussy. You're doomed to marry a stupid, dense man. _

Jane jumped a bit when Jo nipped at her leg, letting her know that she was cold. Jane huffed and turned around, coffee be damned. Maybe she'd clean her house and try to find her watch anyways, she hadn't seen it since Frost's bachelor party last week, and a new one was just too much money. They got more expensive every year after you turned 13, so getting one now at Jane's age was just ridiculous.

She unlocked her door and unclipped Jo, who just ran up to the couch and pounced on one of the side pillows that her Ma had brought over weeks ago. She turned in a circle three times and settled down for her afternoon nap. _Must have been a strenuous peeing session._

Jane just tossed a look around her apartment and picked a thing to do first: the dishes.

She ran the hot water for a minute before putting in the stopper. As the water filled up around the plates and bowls, Jane imagined what it would feel like to have two arms snake around her waist and a delicate chin set itself on her shoulders.

_Would it feel nice to sway back and forth_

_Maybe they'll smell nice, like vanilla_

_Perhaps they'd get married at Fenway_

_That is, if she found them. _

_Or if they found her. _

* * *

Maura gave herself a once-over in the mirror and flatted non-existent wrinkles on her dress. She was nervous, and it was showing.

_Today's the day Maura, the day you've waited 25 years for._

Susie walked out of the crime lab and walked towards her old friend, smiling as she saw just how happy Maura seemed to be. The blonde had lead a life of solitude and sadness, never quite feeling as if she belonged. Susie had idly stood by while Maura had tried her damndest to appease her never-happy parents. They probably hadn't spoken for at least three years, and Maura seemed to lose a bit of herself with each passing day.

Susie had already settled down with her boyfriend, Scott. They'd met just as the watch said they would. They had contemplated marriage multiple times, to the point where he'd proposed numerous times and Susie kept saying not yet. He thought that she was waiting for a promotion, or for a good date. What he didn't realize is that Susie was not going to get married while Maura still remained alone. She couldn't do that to her, it would break Maura. Susie and Bass, Maura's tortoise, were the only people on this planet who ever listening to what she really said. To take that away would shatter Maura.

"Are you excited Maura? I'm so impatient- you'll have to tell me everything tomorrow! I even told Scott to go hang with his bar friends because you and I, we're having a friend day- no matter what happens!" Susie clapped her hand excitedly. She gathered up her things and ran up to Maura, looking directly into her hazel eyes and seeing the last glimmer of hope for the blonde.

"I'll see you later, okay? Text me if anything goes awry" Maura nodded and smiled at the shorter woman, who was standing on her tiptoes trying to stare directly at Maura. She glanced at the silver band that Maura still wore, seeing the bright 48:35 on the screen, she still had the better part of an hour to prepare her house if Maura's soulmate didn't show.

When the door clicked shut after Susie had left for the day, Maura looked herself over in the mirror once more. _Maura, you look fine. You know it's not your dress that you have to worry about. Just speak in clear, quick sentences, and maybe you won't scare this person off. After today, you won't be alone again- ever. You did it, you've overcome so much and here you are today: ready to meet your soulmate. _

Maura grabbed her clutch off the steel table and walked towards the door leading out. She shut the lights off and stared back into the morgue- it would be so easy to just stay in here and wait for the watch to count down to zero. She could then stop worrying and just realize that maybe she just wasn't cut out for happiness.

Her watch beeped at the half hour mark, prompting Maura to hurry and lock the door. She quickly left the morgue and got into the elevator. She pushed the buttons to take her to the base floor and tried to steady her breathing. If she hyperventilated now, she'd surely not make it. The familiar "ding!" rang out and Maura stepped out into the lobby. For some reason she felt that she wanted to walk through the park before settling in for the night, maybe that's where her soulmate would be. The park was about 10 minutes away and she had...15 minutes to go. So, she walked out the door and onto the street.

* * *

"Shit! Fuckin shit!" Jane jumped around trying to put on pants. Had she shaved? Did she smell funny?

Jane had just finished the dishes and was working on getting the vacuum out of her closet when she'd spotted her watch on top of the towels. Of course, she had no idea how it had gotten there, but when Jane put it on and started it up, she saw that she'd only had 20 minutes to get to…wherever she was going. Which lead to Jane trying to shower and change into decent clothes that didn't smell like black licorice from all the Jager that she'd sweated out while cleaning

Her watch beeped five minutes and then Jane felt it, she needed to go to the park where Frost had met Netta. If she ran, she could get there in three and pretend that she was waiting. So, she threw some pants and a t-shirt on, making sure to swipe a bit of perfume behind her ears, she was going to meet her soulmate, she could as least smell pretty for him.

She grabbed a water bottle and blazed out her front door so quickly that she nearly fell down two flights of stairs. Hmm, maybe her soulmate was a paramedic.

The park was only two block away, but Jane had to cross a busy street to get there. Once she finally crossed, she check. 1:34, whew. She still had time. There were tons of people here : There was a guy reading the paper on a bench, maybe it was him? There was a girl talking on her phone, yelling at someone. _Yeah, you're not that lucky Jane. _She walked a bit further ahead and checked her watch 00:45, shit. Well, there was a dude in a prison vest, maybe she was doomed to marry someone she'd have to arrest later in love. _That seems like more your style Jane, you've always known how to pick them. _

Her watch beeped, saying she had thirty seconds. A figure blew past her, almost knocking her over in the process. After flipping him the bird, she realized that he seemed to be paying attention to his hip when running. _He has to be packin heat- who else wears a gun in public. _

Suddenly the guy turned around, making eye contact with Jane. She knew him from somewhere. She just didn't know where. She went to turn around when she saw the man reach for his pocket. Knowing what was gonna happen in this crowded park, Jane took off at full speed- soulmate be damned. She didn't want to have a mass shooting on her hands in a park .

* * *

"I don't know Susie!" Maura squealed into her phone. She'd gotten herself too worked up and had needed to call her best friend to keep her calm. "I just don't see anyone here who seems remotely interested in me. Oh shoot, I've only got 45 seconds left, I'll call you back!" Maura mashed the buttons on the screen to hang up and threw the phone in her purse. She scanned the park again, feeling vulnerable. Someone in this park was her soulmate, and it bothered Maura terribly to not know who it was.

She stood up to stretch her legs and and jumped out of her skin when she heard a loud noise ring out. She turned her head towards the noise to see an older gentleman collapse onto the ground, gun in hand. Given the blood spatter on the cement, Maura ascertained that this man had just taken his own life. She went to go call 911 when she felt the mass panic of the people in the park start to creep in. Suddenly mass chaos broke out at families ran back to their cars, covering their children's eyes. Men gasped at the sight and lost their lunches. The runners on the paths turned around and sprinted home, even if it meant going an extra five miles. People were pushing past Maura screaming so loudly that she couldn't even think clearly. She was so close to finally being able to get into her purse, when someone ran right into her, knocking her back onto the bench, the person threw back a hurried "sorry!" and kept running towards the man. As if on cue, Maura's watch beeped, signalling that she had missed her soulmate in all of this bustle. She had missed the one opportunity to feel real happiness.

* * *

Jane saw the man lift the gun to his head, and took off as fast as she could. She dropped her wallet and looked back to make sure that it landed in the grass. She turned back around just in time to see him pull the trigger. She darted around people who had started to panic and advanced on the man. She jumped over garbage and discarded belongings from people who were just too eager to leave. She felt her ankle roll as she tipped forward, slamming into a woman who just just stood up. Jane threw her head back and yelled out a "sorry!" while limping towards the man.

She got on the phone to call in the scene, when her watch went off. Fuck, she'd probably ran right past her soulmate. _Well, that's just time number 584 that your job has won out over your life, Jane. Maybe you're just meant be that lonely older detective that everyone shoots sad looks at when other people get married. Well, at least you can still take people home for awhile, they just won't ever make you happy. _

She felt a tear slide down her cheek as she took in exactly what had happened. She had let herself get excited at the prospect, and this what happened. She dialed 911 and scanned the park, maybe she could catch a glimpse of the man who was supposed to make her happy. _It could have been a woman Jane, but you'll never know. _

"This is Detective Jane Rizzoli- badge number Victor-825 and I need to report a self inflicted GSW on an older man in Central Park. No, he's dead. But, there's mass panic going on. Okay." Jane hung up, they said they'd be there in two minutes. So, that meant that it was okay to cry for a minute, right? No one would have to know, she'd tell Frost that she had lost her watch and that she'd find it someday. Too bad it would be too late.

* * *

Maura hovered over the body of her latest autopsy, trying her best not to break down. _Not only did you miss your soulmate by mere seconds, you also witness this man shoot himself. What could drive a man to such lengths?_

Maura cut off the man's clothes and gasped when she realized that he was also wearing a watch. She was curious and peaked at the time, her heart breaking when she saw his numbers flashing, stuck at 00:00, just like hers. . He had probably been looking for his soulmate too. She heard a knock on the door and got the hand signal that someone was here to view the body. She brought the sheet up over the man and nodded her head at the tech, who opened the door. A red-haired woman walked slowly into the morgue, clutching a watch that matched the man on her table.

"I-I'm here to confirm his identity." The woman muttered, looking sorrowfully down at the white face. Maura nodded and lifted the sheet back, her heart breaking to hear the sobs of the woman. A glance at the watch showed Maura that this woman's had also stopped at 00:00.

"I've loved him for years, you know. We've had our ups and downs, but I just knew. I knew that even though our watches never matched and always said something new, that were were soulmates. Why, why would you do this Patrick?" the woman burst into tears, grabbing onto Maura to keep her steady.

Maura patted the woman's back affectionately, letting her cry out all of her pain. Once the woman's sobs had subsided, and her breathing returned to normal she spoke to Maura:

"I'm sorry, my name is Hope Martin, and that man there- that's Patrick Doyle Jr. I've loved him for years, but he loved his life of crime more. We even had a child together, but- well… she died too. Why does everyone have to die before I get to love them?" The woman started to cry again, this time Maura joined her. Why did everyone have to leave her, before anyone could love her?


	2. The Civil Wars - The One That Got Away

**People literally begged me to continue the last chapter, even though it was supposed to be sad. So, here's part two of..three *sigh* I just can't say no to you guys. .**

Hey, Frost- did we get an I.D. on the shooter in the park?" Jane asked from her perch on the corner of her desk. She rubbed her scars nervously, making the tops of her hands turn a furious red. She was quickly becoming impatient at the lack of knowledge in addition to the work that was piling up while she looked into this case, off the books of course. Normally, she didn't pry too deep into self-inflicted wounds, but she'd been a witness this man's demise. So, naturally as a Detective, she felt guilty for not preventing it or at least intervening.

"Maybe, the M.E. hasn't sent anyone up yet with any results. Why don't you go ask her? She's only been here like three years. I still don't know how you managed to avoid her this long, she's not as bad as Crowe makes her out to be. It'll be good for you to have a girlfriend… well I mean" Frost grimaced at his unfortunate choice of words. Jane was still touchy about the whole "Your job trumped your love life again" situation that had happened last month, and BPD had just learned to avoid Jane when she was in one of her "moods"

"Yeah, we all know that won't be a problem." Jane spat. Her grimace faltered- Barry wasn't being rude, she was just being too sensitive. "I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that, I'm just finding it weird that I didn't care about finding someone who loved me, until my time had passed. It's relieving, but it's also quickly becoming one of my biggest regrets." Jane sighed and grabbed the folder out of Frosts hand. She tapped his wedding band and winked at her partner, letting him know that it was okay for him to talk about Netta, and their developing family.

"You're a fucking asshole and you're the best partner ever" Frost muttered, making an over-exaggerated feminine wink back at the retreating form of his partner. Jane just held up her hand in agreement and pushed open the door leading to the elevator. Front spun his chair over to Korsak asked:

"Hey, you think Jane's gonna be okay? She's been through a lot, but I don't know if she's gonna bounce back from this one."

The older gentleman just shrugged sadly and went back to his paperwork. He'd never admit it, but Jane's conundrum had left him emotionally vacant- he thought of Jane as a daughter and wished that he would have been there to help. But, he also knew that Rizzoli was the type of person to put everyone and everything in front of her. So, if people had died because she was on a date, she'd eventually resent that relationship for getting in the way of her job.

Frost just looked down at his wedding band, and thanked God that he'd found Netta. She was the best thing that had ever happened to him, and she was also the brightest beam of light in his life. It was nice to love, and be loved in return.

Jane fiddled with the watch on her arm, still stuck on 00:00. The black digital countdown to a life she could have had, if she had just not been so...her. Maybe she was destined to be alone and the fates just entertained the thought of her having a soulmate for fun. The elevator beeped, letting her know that someone else had stopped them on the way down. She didn't notice when a blonde entered the elevator and pushed the button for the morgue. Jane, lost in her thoughts, continued to stare at her watch as if the pulsating numbers on the screen were going to change.

"Mine does that too" a small voice brought Jane crashing back to reality. She looked at the woman, who seemed surprised at the sound of her own voice. She smiled sadly at Jane and motioned to the piece on her wrist that still announced to whole world that her time was past.

"Mine does that too" Maura repeated, with a bit more confidence. "I missed mine too."

Jane felt her throat tighten and her eyes squint at the verbalization of her predicament. The blonde must have picked up on Jane's self-shame because she then took a step back and stared at her heels that were the same shade of red as her face. _Why do you continue to speak to a general public that does not like you? Just go back to your office and leave these people in peace. _

"Do-did, er, have you gotten over it?" Jane whispered hoarsely. Why was this elevator ride taking so long?

"No" Maura peeked up at the brunette beside her and saw nothing but sadness and torment in her beautiful brown eyes. "I don't think that I ever will; it's sad really."

The elevator doors opened, and both women moved forward to leave. Jane, ever the gentleman, stepped back and motioned for the blonde to exit out into the morgue. She soon followed suit and stopped in confusion when they'd reached the door that read: "CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER: DR. MAURA ISLES."

"Are- you're the M.E.?!" Jane asked with an unbelieving eyebrow cocked. _How the hell have you managed to overlook her? Serves you right for being so self-centered._

"Yes, and you are….?" Maura looked down and saw a gold shield, _aha, this is the other detective.  
_  
"I'm Detective Jane Rizzoli, I'm sorry we've never met Dr. Isles. The last medical examiner we had was not exactly friendly, so I learned how to avoid the morgue at all costs." She stuck out her hand and shook the warm, soft skin of the blonde in front of her.

"Call me Maura, please Detective. I hope that I didn't seem intrusive or nosy in the elevator- I'm not very good with people" Maura admitted, her gaze once again meeting the floor. Jane picked up on her body language, realizing that maybe this woman did understand.

"Only if you call me Jane or Rizzoli" Jane offered a small smile in replace of a handshake, her raw red hands still too sore for any foreign contact. Maura seemed to understand as she unlocked the door to her office.

"Come in! I haven't met any females on the force yet- I was beginning to think that Boston simply did not have any here." Maura motioned for the tall brunette to sit down on the couch in her office. It was refreshing to find another woman in the building, especially one who seemed to share her troubles.

"Oh, we're here, we just avoid the morgue. You replaced a handsy fellow, let's just say that." Jane watched as realization followed by disdain for the former examiner became evident. Maura nodded in understanding and pointed to a machine on the shelf next to her.

"Coffee or tea? I have to admit, I haven't been getting the recommended amount of sleep these past few weeks and I am in dire need of a cup of tea." Maura flipped the switch at watched as the tea started to pour into a mug.

"I'd say coffee, but I've had nearly a pot of the shit that Korsak claims is coffee." Maura sat down a held a petite hand over her mouth to stifle giggle at the woman's crass language.

"Well, not that I mind the company, but what brings you down here, Jane?" her name felt foreign to Maura.

"Oh yeah! Sorry, I needed to know if you'd been able to identify the suicide from the park?"

"Yes, actually. His...partner came in to identify him. Patrick Doyle. Aren't you homicide?" Maura asked suspiciously, why did this woman care about a suicide?

"I am, but this one means a lot to me- I was there. I tried to stop him. But-"

"You!" Maura cried angrily, standing up to her full height- glaring down at Jane. "It was you who ran into me. You knocked me down and made me miss my soulmate!" Maura was in tears now, pointing angrily at the bewildered detective. After a moment, Maura's firm stare softened and her arm fell back to her side. Quietly, she whispered :

"You're the reason that I'm forever doomed to be alone!"

"I said I was sorry." Jane muttered, her voice breaking. Was she really guilty of ruining two lives with her incompetence?

"Sorry doesn't fix my life, Jane. Sorry doesn't take back all of those years I stared up at the ceiling, thinking of how much different my life would be when someone finally loved me. All I've wanted since I was 13 was to be loved by someone, and now I'm guaranteed to die alone."

"Hey! I missed my soulmate too, okay?! I missed the one chance I had at happiness. I didn't even realize that my time was so close until I had 20 fucking minutes to go. Twenty fucking minutes to try and erase everything about myself that I hated, twenty minutes to prepare myself to be happy with a man. That's not nearly enough time to fix me." Jane yelled back, her hands once again balling into fists.

"You aren't broken, Jane." Maura sighed, feeling slightly embarrassed for her outburst. There was no way that Jane was 100% at fault for her future. She pulled her watch out from a drawer in her desk and showed it to the detective, who had silent tears trailing down her face.

"I still keep it too, and I'm scared to put it on. Maybe I will someday, when I'm stronger. But right now, I just can't" Maura threw the silver band back into her drawer and slammed it shut with disgust. "I'm sorry for over-reacting and most likely making a terrible impression.

Jane just laughed, not the kind of laugh that she would normally let loose. No, it was one of those laughs where your cheeks are cold from old tears and your sinuses clear and you take inhale fresh air with a fresh mind.

"I'm sorry" Jane said after she'd calmed down a bit. "I really am sorry for knocking you down Maura. I was rushing to Mr. Doyle, and I had just rolled my ankle after stepping on someone's garbage. If it helps, I failed at saving his life, and I failed at trying to live mine too."

"I'm sorry too, I know that you're not the reason that I missed them. The fact that yours was also there is quite the coincidence. Does your watch just show zeroes all the time?" Maura was truly curious.

"Yeah, if I take it off and put it back on it sometimes lags a bit, but it eventually makes its way back down to zero. I'd feel weird takin' it off though; I've worn it since I was what? 18? Yeah." Jane held out a hand as a symbol of forgiveness, smiling softly. Maura countered her smile and took the warm palm of the detective.

"Hey, thanks for the name. I know that you probably aren't supposed to tell me, but I just needed to know. When's your lunch, wanna go up to the cafe? I'm sure that my Ma would love you." Jane asked, checking her other wrist for the time.

"Sure, let me just gather my things and put a lid on this tea. I'll meet you up there." Maura insisted, motioning for Jane to go ahead without her. Jane just nodded and walked out of the door, throwing one last meaningful glance towards the blonde, who was smiling at the floor again. _She is so odd, but...I think that I like it, how refreshing. _Jane smiled the entire ride up to the ground floor and all the way into the cafe.

She waved at her Ma, who was currently in the middle of the lunch rush, and picked a table in the corner. She set her things down and grabbed her phone. Frost had messaged her asking if she was okay. She tapped out a reply that she was fine and getting along with Maura. Barry just responded with a smiley face- Jane's biggest pet peeve.

"Sorry that took so long, I had Susie er- Senior Criminalist Chang, run you a copy of Doyle's records. Consider this a thank you for not judging me by my outburst. I'm just still sad about it." Maura rubbed her thumb over the tab of the manila folder that she slowly pushed across the table towards Jane.

"Hey, it's okay Maura. We all have our moments. Remember I yelled too? Yeah, I guess you do understand how vulnerable and... I don't know... empty it makes you feel to know that you've also ruined someone else's life by not being in the right place at the right time. It's... depressing." Jane looked to the side to avoid looking at Maura's hazel eyes, which would surely be full of pain. The sullen detective felt a warm hand on hers, a silent thumb rubbing over her knuckles.

"Hey, how about we go to dinner tonight? I guess since we're destined to be lonely forever, we might as well have a friend, right?" Jane reasoned out loud, hoping that she wasn't coming off too strong to the blonde. They really had just met, but something about the Doctor made Jane feel like it was okay to feel how she was feeling- someone to talk to without worrying about bringing them down.

"I would like that! We could make it a weekly thing, you and I. I didn't realize how little I've gone out since the park, and it can't be healthy to be keeping all these emotions bottled up. My only friend is Susie, er- Senior Criminalist Chang to you, and she's scared to even talk about her boyfriend with me." Maura admitted sadly- she and Susie had drifted some since the park incident.

"My partner, Frost- you probably know him, him and his wife are really happy together, and I know that he wants to tell me but he doesn't. I feel like a shitty friend along with a shitty soulmate. Man, we're a pair." Jane chuckled.

"Let's be shitty soulmates together then!" Maura insisted, laughing at the foreign swear on her tongue. "Are you one of the ones who go to The Dirty Robber after a case?" Maura asked, having declined many an invitation to there.

"Yes! Wanna meet at like, 8?" Jane threw out a random time. Honestly, if she didn't have plans, she'd probably stay at BPD until the wee hours of the morning to distract her.

"Sure, fellow shitty soulmate, it's a date" Maura winked.


	3. Avicii - Addicted to You

**So, this whole story arc was supposed to just be a sad one-shot. But everyone convinced me that they needed more. So, here it is. hahaha. Feedback is appreciated and I love every single one of you who review :)**

Hey,_ wanna go to the Robber tonight? Frost has a surprise for us_.

_Sure! I should be finished here by 7, is that going to be alright?_

_Of course Maur, I don't even think I'll have my paperwork done by 7. Wanna meet me there or carpool?_

_I'll take you. We haven't gone out in quite some time, and I would enjoy your company tonight. Stay over? We're both off tomorrow, and I wanted to see if you would go shopping with me?_

_...the things I do for you. I'll go. But, only if you don't make me try on anything. I'll text you when I'm finishing up here. _

_Thank you, Jane. We'll discuss this further face-to-face. Have a pleasant day :)_

_You too Maur. :D_

Jane set her phone down on her cluttered desk and thought for a moment about what Frost was going to tell them tonight. She assumed that the next big milestone in their marriage was children, and the thought of little Barrys running around make Jane smile brightly; her friend was happy, she couldn't ask for anything more. The fact that he'd automatically assumed that Maura was going also made Jane happy. It had taken a long time, and a lot of trips to the Robber, but Maura had finally been integrated into the homicide team.

They hadn't been friends for long, about a year at most. Life was easy with Maura- honestly it was easier than when Jane was hell bent on a soulmate. Maura was the whole package really, minus the actual relationship. Ever since their initial interaction in her office, Maura had really blossomed from the nervous society-forced introvert she'd been into an outgoing and humorous being. Even her office reflected the changes in her life. The drab art and meaningless knick knacks that had been scattered about had been replaced with photos of the Rizzoli clan plus the blonde. The drab books had been rearranged to fit a softball glove, a birthday present from Jane's brother Tommy last spring.

The sound of cats meowing on Korsak's computer made Jane startle out of her reverie. She shook her head to clear her mind and set back to finishing the huge stack of paperwork that had littered her desk. After what seemed like 500 years, Jane looked at her watch and realized that it was about 6:45, and she really needed to wrap up what she was doing. She folded down the edge of the page she was on, and placed the paperwork into her file cabinet. She locked it and threw the keys into her desk- a habit that Maura just hated. She never failed to point out the many ways that someone could break into her stuff. Jane, in tandem, never failed to point out that no one except Frost or Korsak would even understand what any of her notes meant.

Jane stood up and grimaced at how badly her feet hurt; she'd been on them for almost 12 hours straight this morning, and sitting down was not at option. Now that she'd been sedentary while doing her forms, standing up was the worst pain ever. She sat on her desk to give her feet time to recover from their initial trauma and pulled out her phone.

_Hey, I'm done but my feet are sore as hell. Can we not stay long? I have clothes at your house, I'll just use those. _

_Of course, I'll be up in a moment._

Mkay.

Five minutes later, Maura appeared as the elevator opened with a "ping". She nodded at Jane, who just joined in her in the lift. They smiled at each other politely as Jane hit the button that would take them to the parking garage. Jane turned to Maura and blurted out the first thought she had.

"I think he's gonna say that Netta's pregnant, Maura." Jane looked wide-eyed at the blonde, who opted to giggle instead of responding. After a few incredulous looks, Maura humored Jane with her honest opinion.

"I'm happy for them Jane! They're going to make fabulous parents. I'm also very proud of Barold for telling us, if that's the case. You know he hates to talk about his personal life at work, he still thinks that you're going to beat him up." Maura emphasized this statement with a fake and off-center imitation of a left hook. Jane smiled at the adorable blonde and realized that she was jumping the gun a bit. He hadn't even told them yet, and she was already freaking out.

"I guess you're right- no surprise there. I never realized how hard it must be for him to keep all of those things to himself. I should be happy for him anyway, this is all he's ever really wanted. Now he has a chance to be a better father than his was.

Maura nodded in agreement as the car stopped. The doors opened and the blonde shivered a bit, it was unusually cold in Boston and Maura hadn't quite planned her wardrobe accordingly. Jane offered her blazer to Maura, who took it with a coy smile. She wrapped it around her shoulders and her body warmed the musky scent of the detective. Maura unlocked her car door and watched as Jane willingly got into the passenger seat. That action in itself made Maura wonder what was going on in Jane's mind. She would ask her later, when they were alone.

The quick drive to the robber was quiet, both women lost in their separate thoughts. Jane was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even realize that they'd been parked.

"Jane." Maura got her attention and continued,"When we get home, you're going to explain what's got you so lost tonight, okay? " Maura cupped Jane's cheeks and kissed her lightly on the nose. Jane blushed and smiled, even if she was going to have to talk to Maura later. She pulled away and nodded, her eyes still focused on the ground. Maura turned to exit the car and noticed that Jane shivered slightly. Maura took the blazer off of her shoulders and snuck up behind Jane, placing the warm garment over her broad shoulders. Jane touched a hand to hers affectionately as they walked into the double doors.

They spotted Frost, Korsak and Frankie in the corner table with a round of beers already gone. Jane moved forwards towards the group as Maura gave a small wave. The men just nodded to the empty chair across from the table, which Jane promptly sat on. Feeling oddly clingy, she grabbed Maura's hips and pulled the blonde into her lap. Maura tensed at first, but she eventually relaxed into Jane's body. She liked to feel safe curled up with Jane. It made the pain of the past year dull a bit.

"SO! What's the big news Frost? You finally get caught by the feds for seeding the Frozen soundtrack?" Jane smiled with a twinkle in her eye. Frost just laughed and added an "Oh, of course." to the banter, making the table chuckle. He stood up and raised his arms high, calling attention to their whole table .Maura flushed under the scrutiny of the whole bar and buried her face into Jane's shoulder. Barry looked to the sky and when he looked back down at the bar, there were tears in his eyes.

"I-I'm gonna be a dad guys." Frost said. As soon as he moved to sit down, the whole bar erupted into a chorus of "congratulations!" and "Shots for the dad!" . A plethora of alcohol slowly made it to the table, and unable to drink it all, Barry decided to be a good guy and share. Maura politely declined the offer, continuing to sip her water. Jane threw a few shots back and started to loosen up. After half an hour, and forty-five shots later, the four drinkers were well on their way to inebriation. Jane tugged at her dress and Maura stood up, adjust her clothing in the process. Jane stood and smoothed out the wrinkles in her pants. She took a few tentative steps towards her partner and sat delicately into his lap.

"Frost, we've been friends for years and I fucking love you to death. I am so happy for you man, and never hold back your happiness for me, okay? Jane poked him in the chest, smiling like a giddy child. He smiled back and nodded, a little too drunk and emotional to reply just yet. Jane stood back up and smiled brightly at Maura. She walked around the table and ruffled her brother's hair without looking and punched Korsak lightly on the arm.

"Wanna head out Maur- it's late and we can't be very good sober entertainment" Jane chucked at Maura's exaggerated eye roll for her answer. She gathered her keys and motioned towards the door. Jane followed her outside and once again sat quietly in the passenger seat. Once Maura had entered the car and started the engine, Jane felt it was safe to talk.

"I-I it's all so different once you're back in the car. The atmosphere changes everything, like you've just walked back into a mindset that you paused."

"I think I understand, we'll talk more at home Jane, don't worry. No judgement here" Maura smiled and flicked the radio onto Jane's programmed station. They drove again in silence until they reached Maura's house. They made their way up to the door, Maura a little faster than the intoxicated detective.

Once inside, Maura immediately set her things down and walked upstairs to change. She felt that this talk was going to be a big one and could result in some tears. In the entire year that Maura had known Jane, she'd only seen the hard-assed Boston Detective cry twice. Once on their first meeting, and once when they'd visited the park for the first time since the shooting.

She slipped into a tiny pair of sleep boxers and a simple BPD tank top that was probably (most definitely) Jane's. She walked into her slippers and padded back downstairs to the living room. From the looks of it, Jane had just grabbed her clothes from the guest bedroom and changed in the living room. She had started a pot of coffee which made Maura smile.

"I see you've learned how to use my coffee machine, finally. Miracles do exist." Maura winked and sat next to Jane at the island in her kitchen. She nudged her friend softly to remind the sullen brunette that she hadn't forgotten about their earlier promise.

"I know Maura I just...I -ugh this is gonna sound stupid. Do you remember how I took my watch off like, months ago?" Jane fingered a stray thread on a towel next to her.

"Yes, I remember because I also put mine in the drawer here." She motioned to the random drawer next to them. It had been empty until Jane had come along and coined it the "Junk Drawer" filling it with everything from pencils to old photos of them. If Jane wanted to save something, she threw it in that drawer. It was also the first spot to check if you needed to find something.

"Well, I kinda feel like I wanna put it on again. I mean, I'm not so lonely anymore now that I got you and all. Plus, I wore it for so long, that it kinda feels like a wedding ring." she explained, reaching into the drawer and pulling out their watches, along with a rubber band and a battery.

"Well, I don't see what's wrong with that. But, I don't understand your reasons."Maura smiled as Jane fastened the familiar watch to her wrist and waiting for it to boot up. She stared in confusion and started to bang the device on the table. Maura was startled the action and scooted back.

"What happened Jane, are you okay?" Maura grabbed her wrist and gasped. The watch that had said 00:00 for so long, now read 00:01. It was a miniscule difference, but it made a lifetime of differences to Jane. She stared at Maura, her mouth forming silent words of confusion. Maura reached around the counter, curious about her own, and slipped the small band over her wrist as well. She waited with baited breath as the digital screen came to life. The inevitable rush of numbers came and eventually her watch read the same as Jane's.

They both looked up in wonder as their watched blinked back to zeroes. The little heart icon in the corner started to pulsate and then her watch just settled back on 00:00 with the little heart beaming for all to see.

Tears fell from Maura's eyes as she realized just what this meant. Looking back, it all made sense. The shooting, the falling, how her watch read zero when Jane had passed right by her. She'd never looked at Jane in that sense, because she'd never ever thought that this could happen to her, ever.

Jane still looked confused at the blonde's reaction. Why was she getting so worked up over their watches glitching? Maura put a hand on her arm and tried her best to speak..

"Go outside, go outside Jane." she pleaded, nearly dragging her body off of the chair.

Jane, still bewildered, just walked back outside and stared at the wood of Maura's door.

"Okay, knock" Maura's muffled voice rang out from behind the door. Jane complied and Maura, with the biggest smile she'd ever seen, answered the door and grabbed Jane's hands in her own.

"Hi, my name is Dr. Maura Isles, and I think that I'm your soulmate" the blonde's teary voice wavered with emotion.

Jane's jaw dropped as she realized that everything she'd ever wanted, everything that she'd yearned for, had been right in front of her the whole time- in the form of her best friend.

"Hello, Doctor." Jane started, rubbing her thumb over satin knuckles. She kicked the door shut behind her and brought their bodies close together. "My name is Detective Jane Rizzoli, and I know that I'm your soulmate."


	4. Hunter Hayes - Wanted

**Okay this is super short but it's an quick little epilogue to the previous three chapters. I needed some fluff in my life, so you guys get this :) **

"Hey,_ Susie? It's me. I won't take too long, I know how you hate checking voicemails. So, this is a bad time to tell you, but I know that you keep saying no to poor Scott when he proposes and I know your reasons why. So, just know that you can say yes next time, okay? I-I-I found her Susie. She was here all along, she was...Jane. She was Jane. Susie. I could be a Rizzoli, officially. Okay, I'll cut this short. But, just know that I refuse to wear anything lighter than pearl at your wedding, okay? Bye Susie, eeeeeeeeek. I'm just so-BEEP"_

Maura smiled as the machine cut her off. She was going to be okay, _they_ were going to be okay. She turned to see Jane smiling at her phone, probably talking to frost. She bit her lip and smiled, making Maura's heart flutter in happiness.

_"Hey Frost, guess what? Remember how Ma always hoped that I'd land a Doctor? Well, her wish came true buddy. When you get this, call me back dude. Tell Netta that she can finally do my hair...at my wedding. When I marry Maura Isles. Hear that dude, Maura is mine. I'll tell you the story tomorrow at work. But, seriously, have you seen her boobs? They have to be heaven. Bye_" Jane pulled the phone away from her ear and grinned as wide as a cheshire cat. She turned around and caught a glance of Maura hanging up her phone as well.

When the blonde turned around and saw Jane's smiling form, she held out her arms and the two embraced, happy to love and be loved in return.


End file.
